SOCORRO, N.M., June 13, 2003 -- Mike Czerepak, a native of Albuquerque who is now a senior majoring in materials engineering at New Mexico Tech, recently was named the recipient of this year's Albuquerque Journal Scholarship at the state-supported research university.

Czerepak, the son of R.J. and Pam Czerepak of Albuquerque, is a graduate of Sandia Preparatory School.

Czerepak was selected for the $2,500 scholarship award on the basis of his academic excellence and senior design proposal, titled "Effect of Ion Exchange Treatments on the Fracture Toughness of Anodic Bonds."

The research proposal, which also won an award at a poster competition at last year's Rio Grande Symposium on Advanced Materials, is part of Czerepak's ongoing research work being done in collaboration with New Mexico Tech materials engineering professors and materials scientists at Sandia National Laboratories.

Czerepak's faculty advisor at New Mexico Tech is Gillian M. Bond, and his research advisor is Deidre A. Hirschfeld.